Sportco Premier League Legends: Paul Scholes | Player Profile | Manchester United

Paul Scholes spent his entire career playing for Manchester United, where he made his first debut for the senior team on 21 September 1994 and etched in name in Manchester United’s folklore. 

The midfield maestro is regarded for his magic on the pitch; he is one of those players who will find you from anywhere through his accurate long-balls. 

Paul Scholes: Early life and development into a legendary midfielder 

Born on 16 November 1974 at Salford, Greater Manchester, Paul Scholes was a sports enthusiast who played football and cricket, but his interest grew in football. 

At just 14, he developed his playing skills which impressed scouts at Manchester United. This led to Paul Scholes becoming part of the Manchester United youth system.

Paul Scholes played for the youth team for a year before making his breakthrough into the senior squad. His ingenious performances saw him becoming a first-choice player in starting XI at Man United.

In the 1998-99 treble-winning season, Paul Scholes was a decisive player in midfield for Sir Alex Ferguson's side. 

He also helped his team reach the Champions League final in 2008, after his jaw-dropping volley against Barcelona in the UCL semi-final, which was the only goal in a 1–0 victory. The Red Devils won the final 6–5 in a penalty shootout against Chelsea.  

Manchester United reached another Champions League final in 2009 but were beaten by Barcelona 2-0. 

In 2010 United faced Inter Milan where Scholes scored a solitary goal taking his tally to the 25 Champions League goals, making him the highest goal-scoring central midfielder in Champions League history. 

On 6 March 2010, Scholes struck his 100th goal in a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, becoming the third United player to score a century of goals after Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney. 

The 46-year-old played till 31 May 2011 where he announced his retirement and joined coaching staff at Old Trafford.

However, the Englishman made a comeback on 8 January 2012 and scored his first goal against Bolton Wanderers since his retirement; the goal meant he has now scored in every season in the Premier League since 1994–95. 

In 2013 the England skipper announced his final retirement, making 711 appearances and bagging 152 goals and 74 assists donned in Reds Devils jersey.

Paul Scholes: International career 

The 46-year-old made his international debut in 1997 in a game against South Africa and was later inducted in England’s starting XI for the 1998 World Cup.

Paul Scholes represented England in two world cups, but luck wasn’t on his side as they were eliminated on both occasions. The Englishman played a total of 66 matches for the national side scoring 14 goals with 11 assists. 

Paul Scholes: Playing style 

Paul Scholes is highly appreciated for his long passing and technical skills; he makes passing look easy with his pin-point passing ability. 

The Mancunian legend is more of a long-range shooter and less of a dribbler who uses his intelligent movement and powerful shooting. 

In his early days, he played as a striker but transformed into a well-rounded, tenacious, and versatile playmaker capable of operating from any midfield position.

Scholes often drops deep to alternate between defensively, offensively. With his vision work-rate and positional sense, the former United player often delivers the ball to the exact player’s position. 

The former England International is known for his game awareness and setting the tone of the match through his excellent capacity to read the game. 

At Manchester United, he played as an attacking midfielder; he mainly plays a box-to-box role to offer his creative role in the middle of the pitch. The 46-year-old maintains a scintillating range of passing with constant long balls to initiate attacks after winning back possession. 

Paul Scholes: Major Honours 

Club:

- Premier League (11x)

- Champions League (2x)

- F.A Cup (3x)

- League Cup (2x)

- FIFA Club World Cup (1x)

Individual:

- Premier League Player of the Month: January 2003, December 2003, October 2006, August 2010

- PFA Team of the Year (2002-03, 2006-07) 

- English Football Hall of Fame Inductee: 2008